theschnauzers:
Given that Anthony Bourdain has filmed an episode of his new CNN series "Parts Unknown" in Myrammar (Burma) with no problems (in fact it's one of the first programs to film since the end of military rule), I suspect TAR isn't far behind. It's an alternative to frequently visited China, India, Thailand, and the recently getting overused Indonesia (three of the most recents Races have gone through there).

And it's been closed to travel for over 50 years, so that would be an interesting experience all the way around.

tarflyonthewall:

--- Quote ---TV FORMATS: In a lot of reality shows today, you can sense that people are behaving a certain way for the cameras. In The Amazing Race, how are you able to capture genuine emotions and reactions? Do the contestants forget that the cameras are there?VAN MUNSTER: They forget it within the first 2 minutes because of the technique I’m using. [Contestants] are used to cameras but there’s so much pressure on them, they have no time to think about the cameras. If you’re in a studio and you see nothing but cameras and people looking at you, yes you’ll [act for the cameras]. For me, a reality show is [where the] camera is the least visible thing. In other reality shows, the camera is the most visible thing in many ways. It should be completely fly on the wall and that’s how we do it and how we’ve done it for many, many years. It’s effective. The contestants are the most important part. There’s room for all of these other very successful shows, but we have no judges, we don’t make judgment calls on people, we don’t tell them, you’re good, you’re bad—we leave that for Santa Claus! People have to win this race on their own power, whether it’s physical or mental. That’s what makes this show, and also why there’s such longevity in the show. People see that and they realize, I could potentially do this.--- End quote ---

I don't doubt the show is more 'real' than most other reality shows, but someone should tell the casting people to stop picking people who ham it up - humour's fine when it feels natural (Ken & Gerard), but in recent seasons it feels like they're casting very camera-aware people (the Globetrotters, the cowboys, Brook and Claire, the BB teams, the Chippendales...). I'm not sure his answer really holds up here.

Bertram van Munster (pictured), creator of The Amazing Race and a nine-time Emmy award-winning producer/director, is to be inducted into the Realscreen Awards Hall of Fame in Santa Monica this June.

With more than four decades spent developing and producing unscripted content across the globe, van Munster is one of the non-fiction TV industry’s most respected and creative forces.

Together with Elise Doganieri, his producing partner, he runs Profiles Television, which produces The Amazing Race through its subsidiary World Race Productions. The show is currently on its 22nd season for CBS, and – since launching in 2001 – has aired more than 185 episodes, traveling to TV sets in more than 80 countries around the globe.

In a statement, van Munster said: “It’s an honor to receive this award from realscreen, and to be in such good company with past recipients. All of us have been in the trenches since the beginning of reality TV, and are proud to have played a part in the rise of this genre which has captivated audiences for years, and in some cases, for decades.

“The Amazing Race has been an amazing experience, but I know that without the hard work and dedication of a stellar crew around the world, our friends at CBS, and a brilliant executive-producing team, including my partner in work and in life, Elise Doganieri, I would not have the good fortune of receiving this honor from realscreen.

“I am humbled and also eager to continue creating non-scripted TV for fans around the world.”

In addition to The Amazing Race, van Munster is currently producing Fight Master: Ballator MMA, a new competition series set to premiere on Spike later this year; and in 2012 he produced The Great Escape for TNT.

Other shows include Oprah’s Big Give, Take the Money & Run, and Profiles from the Front Line, all made for ABC.

Prior to Profiles Television, van Munster created and exec produced Wild Things for Paramount Domestic Television. The syndicated adventure series traversed some of the world’s most inhospitable regions. Before that, he served as producer and cinematographer for the first eight years of Fox’s long-running primetime series Cops.

Barry Walsh, editor of realscreen, said: “Bertram van Munster is a true reality television pioneer who has been a major force within the unscripted television revolution from its beginnings, with his work on Cops, to the present day, with the continued success of the groundbreaking adventure competition series The Amazing Race.

“His flair for cinematic production values, combined with action-packed competition, has made The Amazing Race, and Bertram himself, part of TV history. We’re very excited to induct him into the Realscreen Awards Hall of Fame this June.”

Van Munster’s induction into the Hall of Fame comes after producer Thom Beers was last year honored at the ceremony, which was then called the Factual Entertainment Awards.

Watch out for more announcements about the Realscreen Awards and its Hall of Fame inductees in the weeks ahead. The Realscreen Awards take place during Realscreen West in Santa Monica, June 5-6.

georgiapeach:
Realsceen's "Meet a Mentor" series is designed to give delegates rare access to some of the top producers in factual programming. Sign up for the opportunity to glean valuable information in an intimate, "off the record" setting, and hear from A-list producers through Q&A about how they charted their paths, faced and met challenges head-on, and learned invaluable lessons along the way. If you've ever asked yourself "How do they do it?", here’s your chance to find out.

*Pre-sign up is required You may sign up for one (1) Meet a Mentor Session. Sign up opens Wednesday, May 15th at 11:00 AM (ET) on a first come, first served basis.

georgiapeach:
ABC has greenlighted a new series by BVM and Elise:"The Quest"... which has yet to receive a premiere date, pits 12 contestants against one another in a competition set in a fictional place called "Everrealm." The live-action role-playing takes place in what the network describes as "a land of magic and malevolence, where mythical creatures lurk in the woods, agents of darkness stir in the shadows, and mystical beings infiltrate the keep."

more here: http://forum.realityfanforum.com/index.php/topic,28827.msg878562.html#msg878562